A Thousand Years Ago or More
by godwit
Summary: The Foundation of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - this is how it all happened, at least one version of it . A silly little fairy-tale which could have made it into The Toadstool Tales, had it been recorded a hundred years or so earlier.


_**Disclaimer:**__ All characters etc. are of course the invention of J.K. Rowling and belong to her._

_**Many thanks **__to my beta reader __**green-gremlin!**_

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**A Thousand Years Ago or More**

Once upon a time, one thousand years ago or more, the great wizard Godric Gryffindor travelled across the country towards the Hollow, the place he called his home and which would later be named after him. With him was a twelve-year-old boy called Dimric. He, too, came from the Hollow and his mother and father had sent him to the monastery, as they thought he lacked knowledge of the world and they hoped the monks to teach him.

Godric was well-known for his many brave deeds and had once been the magical advisor of the King of England. He was a trusted man within the country, among both wizards and Muggles, and for this reason Dimric's parents had asked Godric to accompany their son.

But now both Godric and Dimric had to return to the Hollow, because the monks were not willing to take Dimric as their student when they realized he was a wizard. Godric had refused to give up and had taken the boy to other abbeys which might take him as a student, but they were refused wherever they went.

"There is no such thing as magic!" one of the monks had declared.

"Many students are afraid of magic, and if he claimed to be a wizard, they may wish to hurt him," said another one. "Such is the world we live in, I'm sorry."

There was no point to deny Dimric's abilities, because Godric was a well-known wizard, and when he turned up with a boy at his side, people assumed that the boy was a wizard too. As magic often showed itself when it was needed, the truth about the boy would have been revealed sooner or later anyway, and Godric took pride in being an honest man and avoided lying whenever he could.

As they rode homewards on their brooms, they both felt a sense of disappointment. Dimric because he had looked forward to going to school, and Godric because he felt like he had failed Dimric and his parents.

Godric felt sorrow in his heart as he remembered the day, many years ago, when the King had told him that he no longer needed a magical advisor. The people of the kingdom no longer trusted a king who used magic, though every king had had a wizard by their side since the days of King Arthur. The other kings in Britain had also got rid of their magical advisors. The world was changing and it was no longer easy to be a wizard or a witch.

They flew over forest and hill, over valley and glen, over moor and marsh. In those days, brooms were knobbly and full of twigs, and you could not ride one for very long. For this reason, Godric signalled to Dimric that they should take a break. Landing, they found some soft tufts of grass under a tree where they could sit. Leaning against the trunk, they looked out over the vast marshland. In the grey evening light it looked desolate and sad. Suddenly Dimric jumped up.

"Look!" he shouted.

He pointed to a small light which twinkled in the distance across the marsh. A couple of times it seemed to disappear, but then it was there again. Dimric's whole body was tense as he followed the light with his eyes. Slowly he took a few steps towards it, before Godric rose and grabbed his arm.

"What are you doing, boy?" he bellowed. "That's a Hinkypunk, don't you know that? It'll lure you into the bog and there you will drown."

Dimric looked frightened, both from hearing what the Hinkypunk could do to him, and for making Godric angry. Slowly he sat down again. A little while later he saw two vague lights glitter in the distant.

"Look!" he said."_Two_ Hinkypunks."

"Those are not Hinkypunks," Godric said. "Those are the torches from two wanderers. We need not to worry about them. Over there is a road. Didn't you see it as we flew?"

Dimric had not seen the road and when he later saw several lights far away he did not say anything to Godric, who was now half asleep with his hat pulled down over his eyes. The lights came closer and closer and now Dimric could also hear the sound of people who were upset. The noise woke Godric up and he stood up, straightening his hat and feeling for his sword and wand, but he did not draw either of them. The group of people was now close to the tree. Most of them carried torches, but some of them carried sticks, hoes and spades. They did not come all the way up to Godric and the boy, but stopped a bit away from them.

"Go away, evil sorcerers!" one of them shouted. "Don't pester this place with your witchcraft!"

"We don't wish to pester anyone," answered Godric. "We're only resting for a while and then we will leave."

The group did not listen. They all came closer now, looking more threatening in the torchlight. Dimric shivered and tried to hide behind Godric, but the Muggles were not afraid of him, as they could sense that he was not very powerful, and one of them stuck up his spade under Dimric's nose.

"Don't touch the boy!" Godric said. "I don't want to hurt any of you, but if you..."

A rope with a large loop at the end flew towards him and soon he found himself bound by two men. Two others had taken the boy. As Godric had served a peaceful king, he realized that he would have to lay hands on Muggles for the first time in his life, and he felt a great sorrow in his heart. As he was just about to cast a spell, the Muggles began screaming and ran away, one of them leaving his spade behind. Godric could not first understand what had happened, but then he heard Dimric gasp:

"Snakes! There are snakes everywhere!"

This was true. In the dim light he could at first only sense their movements in the grass, but when he had vanished the ropes and lit his wand, he could also see them. They crawled everywhere around them, hundreds, with different colours and shapes of their heads. As they slithered through the grass, their hisses sounded like a soft breeze. Looking around, Godric and Dimric saw a man standing by a tree and realized that some of the hisses came from him. It was as if he called to the snakes, for they all crawled towards him and disappeared in the grass behind him. The man was thin and wore dark grey robes. He took a step closer to them, smiling.

"Is it not the great Godric Gryffindor?" he said in a very soft, whispering voice. "I've heard many people speak of your bravery and your powerful magic. Even if I don't approve of a wizard serving under a Muggle, even if he is a king, I cannot deny that your deeds were truly great and I admire them. I am very pleased to meet you."

"You must be Salazar Slytherin, the parselmouth," said Godric. "Had you not come I would have had to hurt those Muggles."

"I call myself a snake-whisperer," Salazar said. "I knew you could save yourself, but the Muggles wanted to be frightened and I fulfilled their wish. I owe them that. I see that you and the boy are travelling. It's late and therefore I ask you to come and stay at my house for the night. I would love to speak to the famous Gryffindor."

"I thank you for your hospitality," Godric said. "And I'd love to talk to you. I've heard many things about your extraordinary powers and I'd love to discover more."

They followed Salazar Slytherin to his house. It was small and surrounded by ferns and dark trees with branches that wound around each other like snakes. The ground was wet and a smell of rotting plants rose from it. When they reached the door Salazar made a whispering sound and the latch, which was shaped like a small snake, wriggled back and let the door open.

The inside of the house was dark, but over a heavy table hung a lamp of delicately intertwined snakes, winding their tails around the lit candles they held in their mouths. In a corner was a fireplace, but the flames in it were dark blue and did not give much light to the rest of the room. Over the fire hung a cauldron and a woman with long, black hair was standing by it, stirring it slowly. Beside her on the floor sat two small boys playing with a snake-skin.

"Welcome to my house," Salazar said. "This is my wife Serpentina and my sons Asp and Orm."

They sat down by the table and Serpentina served them stew, bread and mead. Godric and Salazar talked about how much each of them admired the deeds of the other and Dimric, fascinated, listened to every word they said. After a while they began to discuss the Muggles and the way in which they had started to treat wizards and witches.

"They tried to set fire to my house," Salazar told them. "Of course it didn't work, but that made them even angrier. My wife can no longer visit the market place in town and people throw stones at my sons, who are too young to control their magic. The Muggles claim that we are evil, but what are they?"

"All Muggles aren't like that," Godric said. "In the Hollow, where I come from, wizards and Muggles live side by side in peace."

"If you ask me," Salazar said, "it's just a matter of time before things are different even there. They are going to harm you, sooner or later. They cannot be trusted. It's the same everywhere. They fear and envy us because of our powers."

"They didn't let me go to school because I'm a wizard," Dimric said.

The older wizards looked at him. He was a child and was not supposed to speak without permission. But they did not reproach him for it, and Godric explained to Salazar:

"I promised the boy's parents to take him to school, but now I have to bring him home with me again."

Salazar's eyes narrowed and his fingers gently caressed the locket he had in a chain around his neck.

"Maybe not," he said slowly. "If the Muggles won't let wizards into their schools, then wizards should have a school of their own. We have other things to teach our children, anyway. _Our_ children need to learn how to use their powers."

"That's true," Godric said. "They need to learn how to charm, how to transfigure things and how to brew a potion. And the boy here doesn't even recognize a Hinkypunk, so he certainly needs a few lessons about magical creatures."

"Many wizards who could have been great were taught by wizards and witches of lesser abilities," Salazar said. "But what if you and I, who are two of the most skilled wizards of this time, should start a wizarding school?"

Godric considered this.

"Yes," he agreed finally, "I think that is a brilliant idea. And I also think that we should ask Rowena Ravenclaw, the cleverest witch of the age, if she would like to join us."

So they sent her an owl with a letter. It flew over forest and hill, over valley and glen, over moor and marsh, until it reached the Ravenclaw Castle and landed outside one of its windows.

"Look! An owl!" said Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena's good friend, who was paying her a visit at the time. Opening the window, Rowena took the letter from the owl and read it out aloud.

"That's a very good idea," Helga declared when Rowena had finished.

Rowena agreed.

"All those bright minds that never have a chance to make use of their wit," she said, staring out of the window and into the night outside. "All those who love wisdom and knowledge yet find their desire being met with cold, misunderstanding eyes. We have to do something! I have taught a few young witches myself, but a school can do so much more. Oh, Helga, won't you join us? You, too, have so much to teach the young."

Helga smiled and nodded and they sent the owl back with an answer. The next day Salazar and Godric arrived. Dimric was with them too, as Salazar was afraid that the boy might talk about their plans in front of Muggles if he returned to the Hollow.

The four great wizards and witches sat down at a large, round table in one of the castle's big, airy halls, and they started to talk about the school they were going to found. Dimric was allowed to sit with them and he listened to everything they discussed. All four agreed on what young witches and wizards needed to learn, but they could not agree on who should be taught at the new school.

"All children with magical powers, of course," Helga said.

"I think," said Rowena, "that we should teach only those of great wit, who love knowledge and wisdom. The others take too much time to learn anything; they need to work and work to understand that which is clear from the beginning to those of sharper minds."

"Well, if love of knowledge and wisdom isn't willing to work, then it isn't love," Helga defended.

"Love of knowledge and wisdom is necessary, of course," Salazar said, "But I think that if teaching a child about magic should be worthwhile, the child must have a desire to use this knowledge to reach greatness."

"Courage is also important," Godric said. "Courage and chivalry."

"That may be important if you serve a Muggle king," Salazar replied. "But is it really what witches and wizards need the most? In these times I would say a cunning mind is more important. May I also suggest that only those of pure wizard ancestry should enter the school? We need to hide the school to the Muggles or they will try to destroy it. If we teach children of Muggle blood, their parents may find out where the school is located and tell other Muggles."

"I can't see that such a restriction is of any good," Rowena said. "I agree that we need to keep the location of the school secret to Muggles, but I've had students of Muggle birth myself and many of them are truly bright and magically powerful, some far more so than students from old wizarding families."

Godric did not agree with Salazar either, and Helga said: "Well, I think everybody who is willing to learn should be taught, regardless of the sharpness of their mind or the purity of their blood. Nor do I think they need to be particularly brave, only brave enough to take on the task of studying."

"I find it hard to teach those I cannot trust," Salazar said.

"I just can't stand teaching those who are slow in their understanding," complained Rowena.

"I must confess that I would be very disappointed if a student of mine would have the heart of a chicken," Godric said.

Dimric could not help but thinking that they sounded a bit like the monks who had not let him into their schools, and he feared that he would not be able to go to school after all.

"Well, if that's how you feel," Helga said, "then Salazar can teach those of pure blood and great cunning, Rowena can take the bright ones, Godric the brave and bold and I'll take all the others. We'll have one school with four houses."

Both Godric and Rowena thought this was a good idea, but Salazar hesitated. At last he did agree, as he really wanted the wizarding school to come true. Helga raised her cup and so they all drank to the newly founded school.

"Now all we need is a place where we can teach," Helga said.

"I know of a place that would fit this purpose," stated Rowena. "It's not that far away from here. It's beautiful, with lots of space for an open mind hungry for wisdom, it's full of magic, and in the mountains dwells a dangerous dragon, in the lake lives a monster and in the woods there is a gruesome beast, which sometimes roams the vicinity and spreads fear and devastation. No Muggles ever come there and nobody owns the land or wants to claim it."

"I think you'd better straighten your diadem, Rowena dear," Helga said. "I think a Wrackspurt's got you. That place is _not_ a good place, it's dangerous."

Rowena looked at her, scowling.

"I'm sure that _we_, the four greatest wizards and witches of our time, could deal with that!"

Godric stood up, drew his sword and held it up into the air.

"I'll slay the dragon and the beast! I'll fight the sea-monster!"

"Hmm...," Salazar said, " the rumour of the place will of course keep Muggles away for a while, but we will still need to take other measures to hide it. As for the monsters, I think we'd better keep them. If we can control them, they will mean yet another source of protection for us."

Helga was just about to protest when Rowena said:

"Yes, is there not a way to make a dragon harmless without killing it? In that way we can control it and release it only when or if we need to. But I fear you will have to sacrifice one of your monsters then, Salazar."

"Very well," Salazar agreed. "Then my friend Godric will make good use of his sword, after all."

Rowena worked out the details of the plan and they all travelled to the place, and Dimric was with them. It was indeed beautiful, with high mountains, vast woods and a lake that lay dark and still under the grey sky. It seemed all calm and peaceful at first, but suddenly the surface of the lake was disturbed and with a great splash a huge tentacle came out of the water and then disappeared again, leaving enormous circles rippling across the lake.

Godric went into the forest. As soon as he had entered it, he realised that it was full of magic and that even after he had done what he was there to do, the forest would be frightening enough to keep Muggles away. The bird song and the sound of the wind in the trees were constantly interrupted by horrible screams from the depth of the forest. He spent several days there, but when he finally came back he carried with him the severed head of a giant boar.

"Well done, my friend!" Salazar said, reached inside his robes, took up a silver dagger and started to cut off the ugly warts from the hog's head. Then he conjured a cauldron and sent the terrified Dimric to get some water from the lake. Salazar then lit a blue fire under the cauldron, took out some small bags and flasks from his robes. He emptied them into the cauldron and stirred it rythmically. The steam that rose had a terrible smell, which only got worse when Salazar took the warts and threw them into the simmering potion. They waited for three days and three nights and then the potion was ready.

Helga used her best charmwork to cook the most wonderful meal, that could bewitch anyone's senses and they hid the potion in it. Then Godric took it all and boldly went up to the mountains to the cave where the dragon lived. As dragons sometimes use their fire when they hunt, they do not mind cooked food, and when the dragon sensed the wonderful smell from the meal it came out of its cave and swallowed it all in one bite. For a few seconds it looked extremely pleased, then it yawned, widely and loudly, and fell asleep. Now they knew their plan had succeeded.

"Are you sure it won't wake up?" Dimric asked.

"The only way to wake it up is to tickle it," Rowena said, "and who on earth would be as stupid as to tickle a sleeping dragon?"

Now they knew that the place was safe enough for wizards and they started to build a castle on a rock above the lake and they built it with magic, calling it Hogwarts. They built high towers and deep dungeons, they built rooms and halls and stairs and secret places, which could only be reached by the use of certain magic. Apart from the monsters and the rumours of danger, they cast spells and put charms on the castle to keep curious Muggles away from it.

When all this was done, Helga looked at Dimric and smiled:

"I wonder in which house this little boy may belong?"

"I'm afraid, Dimric, that you won't be in my house," Godric said. "You're a nice lad, but you're not very brave."

"Your blood is pure," Salazar commented, "but I have noticed that you have no yearning to prove yourself. You travel with the great Godric Gryffindor, but you have no wish at all to be like him or even greater."

"You're no dimwit, though your name may suggest it," Rowena said, "but you don't have the sharpness of mind that I require."

"But you really, really want to go to school and learn," finished Helga. "You'll be my student. Welcome to Hufflepuff House!"

And that was the beginning of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Godric, Salazar, Helga and Rowena went out to seek children whom they could teach. Godric's hat was turned into the Sorting Hat, but it tells its story every year, so we do not need to tell it here. The ways of the four friends were tragically parted, but many young wizards and witches would go to Hogwarts, for a thousand years and more, and Dimric was the first one ever. He would later be known as Dimric the Well-taught and was the first teller of this story.


End file.
